Written by Amanda Garbinski |

What are your thoughts on the education at Morgan?  During the debate of the candidates for first selectman,  Vin Cimino, Willie Fritz and Phil Sengal discussed the quality of education in Clinton. The debate got heated as Cimino and Fritz argued over why some parents choose to send their children to private schools, while other families keep their kids in Clinton Public Schools.  Fritz argued that education is built at home, and parents/guardians need to support their children and push them towards better grades, honors classes, and activities.  Cimino, on the other hand, argued education is not built at home. He believes all students even those who have difficult home lives have equal opportunities.  Even though I agree with Willie Fritz, I also believe students have the power to change even if their home life is difficult.

Clinton Public Schools have offered me more opportunities than I can handle.  As an eighth grader, I made the choice to take all honors courses (except Spanish).  Taking on these challenges has helped me work on a level suitable to me, working hard enough to still receive satisfying grades.

At Morgan, the many different AP, honors, college prep, career and elective courses should suit any student.  Electives with Mrs. Nunan, Mr. Enoch, Mr. Cole, and Mrs. Corbett offer classes with cooking, childcare, woodworking, mechanics and digital media.  Our clubs offer opportunities for students to pursue a wide variety of interests. When we don’t have a club, students can create one . The Anime Club, started almost 2 years ago, and the knitting club was formed by a group of students and staff members who like to knit.  The variety of activities and classes are far too plentiful to list, but every student can find something to stimulate his or her interests.

Not only does the school offer clubs and courses, but guest speakers and after school events.  Just this past month, Mrs. Peterson had a guest speaker from Ecuador come into her class to talk about her South American lifestyle and the differences between countries. The hypnotist show, with Jim Spinnato, comes to Morgan every year to fund raise for  Project Graduation while providing two hours of laughter.  Field trips are also constantly occurring, providing students with out-of-class connections.  Journalism students will visit the Hartford Courant and Humanities students will visit the Hartford Atheneum. At Morgan, we not only learn from our daily schedule but also from experiences outside the classrooms.

Mrs. Carroll, a substitute teacher and a mother of three girls who have all attended The Morgan School, explained why she sent  her daughters to Clinton Public Schools instead of a private school like Mercy or Sacred Heart.  She explained, “If kids are conscientious  on what they’re doing, then there are equal opportunities, whether it be a public school or a private school.”  When I asked her about the school system and the experience of her girls , Mrs. Carroll replied, “I have thought about it [sending her kids to Mercy], but it’s too expensive.  The opportunities are the same; the teachers are great [at Morgan]  and honors classes provide a better environment.” The choices each student makes are based on initiative and the desire to learn.  Seniors  believe that the money spent on private schools is not worth the reputation of a “private school”.  Olivia Scobie explained that “paying a small college tuition is not worth it if the same education is represented with both schools.”  Casey Sullivan believes that the “schooling is the exact same; it’s just reputation, and Morgan needs to build theirs.”  I found a senior, Kaitlyn Conway, who was presented with both options by her parents, to go to a public school or to a private school.  Again, her response was the same as other students, the price is not worth it.

No matter what reputation some may give The Morgan School, there are many opportunities for all students. Maybe our technology is not the best and our physical school (at least until 2016) is falling apart,  but the community we have here is incomparable.  The teachers care about our education and want us to thrive not just so their stats will look good.  Who can beat a 15 minute drive, at most, to an environment where everyone has a place?  Learning is about the learner and Morgan provides the opportunities for any student who wants to reach higher.